


Where The Heart Is

by makbaes (gentlemindedlostgirl)



Category: GOT7
Genre: Cat/Human Hybrids, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Hybrids, Kitten Mark Tuan, M/M, Puppy Jackson Wang, Puppy/Human Hybrids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 13:02:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17121878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentlemindedlostgirl/pseuds/makbaes
Summary: Jaebeom did NOT adopt a hybrid out of spite. Stupid Jinyoung and his stupid comment about his stupid puppy had nothing to do with his decision...except maybe it did. And now he has Mark, a sweet little kitten, to answer for it.





	Where The Heart Is

**Author's Note:**

> This was a commission for Chaser @goulhwa on Twitter! Hope you all enjoy!

Jaebeom hadn’t adopted a hybrid out of spite. That would be  _ ridiculous _ . And irresponsible, among other things. Jaebeom knew what sort of responsibility adoption was and he wasn’t nearly so reckless as to bring home a kitten due to something as silly as spite. 

Jinyoung and his stupid comment about his stupid puppy, Jackson, had  _ nothing  _ to do with this decision. 

...maybe he had a  _ little  _ to do with the decision. But it wasn’t out of spite that Jaebeom found himself cooking dinner for two instead of one that night. It was actually far worse than that. Jaebeom would never admit out loud that the real reason he had decided to adopt was out of jealousy, but there he was. 

He had gotten so tired of going over to his best friend’s house and watching him be so enraptured by his new puppy and then going home to an empty apartment. He was exhausted by hearing story after story of something Jinyoung had done with Jackson—whether it be an anecdote about a coffee shop where Jackson had gotten a little too friendly with another puppy that came inside, or something a bit more private—that he found himself wanting something like that too. 

But Jaebeom wasn’t a dog person. Other than Jackson, he found that he didn’t like dog hybrids much at all. They were too hyper, too demanding, too loud. Jaebeom didn’t know how Jinyoung handled it all. He felt tired after spending a couple of  _ hours  _ around the jack russell terrier hybrid. So he had gone down to the shelter and gotten himself a kitten, a little Scottish fold hybrid named Mark. 

Mark was proving to be something of a challenge on his first night home. He had quickly hidden himself up in his room and had yet to come out. He was shy. Painfully so. This was going to be a problem if it kept up for too long. But Jaebeom had cats when he was younger—full cats, not hybrids—that had behaved much in the same manner. And if he knew anything, it was that even the shyest kitties could be lured out with the promise of food. 

As if on cue, Jaebeom heard the familiar creaking of his stairs and smiled as he stirred the vegetables around in the pan. Works every time. 

Mark came up behind him and sniffed into the air, his eyes wide and curious. Jaebeom didn’t know what Mark’s life had been like before he ended up at the shelter that he had been adopted from. But it seemed that he didn’t have a fear of getting close to people. He wasn’t  _ afraid _ . That was, at least, a good sign for their future. 

“Are you hungry?” Jaebeom asked as he looked over to Mark. “I’m making stir fry. Do you like that?” 

Mark nodded. He hadn’t spoken a word since they had left the shelter. Something about being officially adopted had made him bashful, or nervous at the very least. This was something they could work around. It was just going to take some time. 

Luckily for him, Jaebeom was a patient man. He would wait for Mark to acclimate to his new home. And when he was ready, Jaebeom would be there to support him.

“Alright,” he said. “Why don’t you grab some plates, then? Second cupboard from the right,” he said as he nodded over to area in question. “You can go sit at the table. I’ll come bring everything over when it’s all done. Should be up in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Mark said softly. And maybe it was only one word, but it was something, and Jaebeom would take it. Any speech from him was some form of progress. When it came to working with kittens, the small victories were important. 

Jaebeom served up the food a few minutes later and took a moment to observe his new companion before he started to tuck in himself. His light blonde, almost white hair blended with his ears that were so small they hardly even poked out from his hair. His matching tail swished behind him and made Jaebeom aware that his kitten was still a little nervous. Being watched probably wasn’t helping, so he turned his attention to his own meal.

He couldn’t help it. Mark was, quite frankly, adorable. It was the reason he had been drawn to him in the first place in the shelter. There had been plenty of bright eyed, affectionate kitties there that he could have brought home. But the one curled in on himself playing with a hand-held video game in the back corner had been the one that caught his eye. Counter-intuitive, maybe, but there was a reason he hadn’t adopted a dog. He wanted someone more on the independent side. 

Still, he was selfishly looking forward to the day that Mark would feel okay enough to show some physical affection. Nothing to the scale of Jackson, who always seemed to need to be attached to someone’s side in order to be happy. But while he was on the thought of Jackson…

“Oh, by the way,” Jaebeom hummed, forgetting for a moment that Mark hadn’t been privy to the train of thought that lead him here, “My friend Jinyoung is coming over tomorrow. He’s bringing his puppy, Jackson. Jinyoung and I spend a lot of time together, so we figured it’s a good idea to get you two socialized quickly.”

“Puppy?” Mark asked, hints of anxiety in his tone. “Okay…” he trailed off, quickly making himself more interested in his food than the topic of conversation. 

“You’re nervous,” Jaebeom observed. “Mark, it’s okay, you can talk to me if something’s wrong. I don’t want you to feel like I’m going to order you around or force you into situations that make you uncomfortable.” 

“I just…” Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Puppies make me nervous,” he said. 

Jaebeom figured that was about all he was going to get out of him, so he decided to nod and leave it alone. “I’ll talk to Jinyoung, make sure he has a conversation with Jackson and keeps him nice and calm. If it gets too overwhelming for you, you can go to your room, okay? I’m never going to force you to anything, but you need to be vocal and honest, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Mark nodded, visibly more relaxed now as he turned his attention back to his food and actually started to eat rather than simply pushing his food around on the plate.

The pair ate in a mix of silence and small-talk after that, making not much more than polite conversation as Jaebeom slowly got some of the pieces that made up the puzzle that was Mark. He didn’t like to read, but was really good at video games. He hadn’t learned too many hobbies outside of that because he had spent so much time in front of screens. His perfect day involved a lazy mixture of naps and Overwatch. He even offered to teach Jaebeom to play. Jaebeom wasn’t convinced that it would go very well, but it was  chance to bond, so he wouldn’t turn it down. 

After dinner, Mark retired to the bathroom to take a shower and then spend some time alone before bed. This left Jaebeom to sigh and melt into the couch as he slowly drowned in the silence of the house. This wasn’t exactly what he had imagined when he went to the shelter to adopt. But he could only hope that Mark would be less aloof with time. And who knows, maybe having a friend like Jackson would coax him out of his shell. 

Jaebeom was nothing if not hopeful. 

**********************

“I really did try to tell him to keep calm,” Jinyoung said from outside the house the next day as he physically restrained his puppy by holding tight to his arm. “But you know how he gets.”

Jackson was already trying to stick his nose into the house so that he could sniff around. “I’ll be calm!” Jackson said in a tone that showed that he was anything  _ but  _ calm. “I just wanna meet the kitty! Please!”

Jaebeom looked into the house to where Mark was curled in on himself in Jaebeom’s favorite armchair. His tail was moving anxiously and his small ears were flat against his head. He was genuinely nervous. And Jaebeom couldn’t blame him. Jackson’s exuberance took a lot of getting used to, and could be easily overwhelming to people who didn’t know him well. Jaebeom looked back to Jackson and gave him a serious look.

“Mark is still getting used to the house,” Jaebeom explained to Jackson, his tone firm and serious, “I don’t want Jinyoung to have to leash you, but I’ll tell him to if Mark starts getting too scared. Understand?”

Jackson nodded exuberantly and Jaebeom sighed. He had said all he could, now he just had to hope for the best. There was still a tight nervousness in his chest, but there was nothing more he could do at this point besides let whatever would happen...happen.

“Okay,” he said, stepping back to let his friends into the house. “Come in, then.”

To his credit, Jaebeom could tell from Jackson’s movements that it was taking a lot of effort to not sprint right to the cat in the chair, which is what he normally might have done. Instead, he approached cautiously before kneeling in front of the chair and looking up at Mark with his characteristically bright smile. “Hi!” he chimed, “I’m Jackson! It’s nice to meet you!”

“Hi,” Mark said, still a bit guarded, but clearly curious. “I’m Mark.”

“Can I sniff you?” Jackson asked. “I’ll be gentle!”

Mark nodded slowly, which gave Jackson leave to nuzzle his face into Mark’s neck to scent him. This caused Mark to visibly stiffen for a moment in discomfort. His tail twitched with anxiety before finally relaxing to rest on the arm of the chair. Jinyoung and Jaebeom let out audible sighs of relief from where they stood over by the front door. 

“You smell nice!” Jackson chimed, his voice muffled by the chunky knit sweater that Mark was wearing--a pale cream color that complimented his ears and tail well. Mark had a little giggle at this and nuzzled his head down onto the top of Jackson’s in a show of affection. This made Jaebeom smile from where he stood. He had been right. Jackson was, as it turned out,  _ exactly  _ what Mark had needed.

“You do too,” Mark said as he looked over to the puppy. He was flushing, clearly bashful as he spoke. “Like...cinnamon,” he explained with a small hint of a smile. He thought for a moment before speaking again. “What do I smell like?”

Jackson buried his face in Mark’s neck again and look a long sniff, which apparently tickled, if Mark’s giggling was any indication. That sound alone was enough to send Jaebeom’s heart soaring as he finally settled into the couch. He decided in that moment that he needed to do everything in his power to hear that giggle as much as possible. 

“You smell fruity,” Jackson decided as he moved away from Mark’s neck. “Like blueberries! It’s really nice!” He said, pouncing back onto him to get another smell. 

“Jackson,” Jinyoung scolded from the couch. “Gentle. Remember what I said about kitties being more fragile than you are?”

“Sorry,” Jackson mumbled as he slumped down onto the floor by Mark’s feet. “Hey! Mark!” He chimed as he looked back up at the kitten, his face bright with excitement. Do you wanna play ball? Jinyoungie brought some of my favorite things so I can share!”

Mark looked over to Jaebeom as if asking him for permission. Jaebeom chuckled and nodded over at the kitten to let him know that, yes, it was perfectly alright for him to play with Jackson so long as they were careful.

Mark smiled and nodded at Jackson. “Okay.”

Jackson and Mark spent the afternoon divided amongst a couple of activities. Passing  ball back and forth, some video games, and a bit of well-supervised play-wrestling.(The wresting had made both of the humans very nervous. They didn’t take their eyes off of the hybrids the entire time. Jackson’s tail was wagging at a hundred miles a minute and he got a bit of a scolding when he nipped at Mark’s shoulder. It wasn’t his fault for playing like that, but it was better to be safe than sorry). As the day went on, Jaebeom got to see a new side to Mark: one that was playful, excited, and even mischievous. It was an honest blessing to see because it meant that the kitten was becoming more comfortable in the home and around the people in it. 

The pair stayed for dinner, and afterwards, all four of them were lazing on the couches talking. Jackson was, as was often the case, completely draped across Jinyoung’s lap. Jackson had never quite gotten the message that he was far too large to be a lapdog, but Jinyoung didn’t seem to mind. It gave him the space to press absent minded kisses to his puppy’s cheek whenever he felt the impulse. 

This marked another milestone in the progression of Mark’s comfort around Jaebeom. Rather than keeping his distance as he had done before, this time he was pressed against his human’s side. This made Jaebeom absolutely giddy, though he didn’t outwardly show it. This was all he had wanted when he went out to adopt: a kitty who would attach himself to him the way Jackson attached himself to Jinyoung. What he had been looking for, when it all came down to it, was someone to make the nights a little less lonely. 

He was so thankful that he had finally found it. 

The evening passed much in the same way. Jackson had tired himself out with all of the play-wrestling, and Jinyoung decided it was time to go home when the puppy started falling asleep in his lap. Jackson gave Mark a sleepy hug before he left, giving his neck one final nuzzle for good measure. 

“G’night pretty kitty,” Jackson said absentmindedly before waving and following Jinyoung to the door. “See you soon!”

Mark looked dumbfounded for a moment, but waved back and watched as the pair left the house. He stood there for a moment after they left, appearing deep in thought. Jaebeom hummed from where he was sat on the couch. 

“What’s on your mind, Mark?”

“He called me pretty,” Mark mumbled, turning back to Jaebeom with furrowed eyebrows as if the concept confused him a great deal. 

“You are pretty,” Jaebeom said simply. “Very pretty, in fact.”

“Oh,” Mark said with a flush as if the idea that he was good looking had never even occurred to him. “You...really think so?” he asked as he started to move back over towards Jaebeom. 

“Of course I do,” he said. “I wouldn’t say so if I didn’t. As far as I’m concerned, you’re the prettiest little kitty in the world.”

This fact made Mark preen a little in pride. He had never been told he was pretty before--certainly not by someone as handsome as his new owner. And it occurred to him how lucky he was to have been adopted by this man, who was kind, and caring, and had good friends that seemed to like him too. In the shelter, he had heard horror stories of some of the kinds of people who could bring hybrids home. Jaebeom had never struck him as that sort of man, but one could never be sure. 

In that moment, though, Mark knew that things were going to be good for the two of them. He was going to be happy here. And that was all he could ever ask for. He looked down at his hands for a moment as he considered a request. Was it too soon? Would Jaebeom think it was a bad idea? Or judge him for it? For a moment, he simply opted to keep his mouth shut on the whole ordeal, but Jaebeom wouldn’t have it. 

“Mark,” Jaebeom chided gently, “Remember what I said about being honest when something’s bothering you?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” he said softly, a bit embarrassed that Jaebeom seemed to be able to read him s easily. But he had always been something of an open book. 

“Talk to me, kitten,” he said as he held his hand out for Mark to take. 

Mark stepped a little closer and took his hand. The physical contact made him feel a little bit more brave to ask for what was on his mind. “I was just...wondering if I could sleep with you tonight? I know it’s a dumb thing to ask it’s just…” he avoided Jaebeom’s gaze. “I’m scared of the dark,” he admitted softly. 

Jaebeom couldn’t help but coo as he pulled his kitty closer to him, beginning to scratch behind his ears a bit to calm him down. “Mark...why didn’t you say something yesterday? I would have let you sleep with me then. Or at least gotten you a night light. We can go out tomorrow and get you one if you want.”

Mark shook his head. “I’d rather sleep with you,” he admitted. “I don’t like sleeping alone anyway.”

Jaebeom smiled up at Mark. “Neither do I. Let’s get ready for bed then, huh?”

Mark nodded with a bashful smile and followed Jaebeom over to the bedroom.

This, Jaebeom noted as he lie in bed that night with Mark curled up at his side, was how he wanted to fall asleep for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine how he had ever gotten any sleep before without the sound of Mark’s gentle purrs from where his head lay on his chest. There was something incredibly healing about petting Mark as he calmed down from the day, soft fur mixing with his hair and giggles mingling with his purring. This Mark was so different from the quiet, aloof one of the night before. While he winded down for sleep, there were elements of the Mark before; the quiet contemplation, the thoughtful remarks. But this Mark was quiet in peace, not in anxiety. He was quiet because he felt safe and comfortable in his new environment. It was a beautiful difference. If this was only a day’s worth of growth, he couldn’t wait to see the changes that would come with more time spent together. 

And after all, they had all the time in the world to grow together. 


End file.
